Puri/Balasore: In separate attempts to stifle the voice of media, cops attacked and injured over 15 journalists and miscreants hacked a senior media person in the state since last night.
In the first incident, a verbal duel erupted between some customers and the staff of a petrol pump located near Puri Mediacal Chhak over selling substandard fuel. As the argument took an ugly turn later, over hundreds of locals went berserk and vandalized the filling station out of anger.
However, after Kumbharpara Police reached the spot and tried to control the mob some locals protested them. Later, cops took an aggressive stance and resorted to lathi charge. While reporters and video journalists of a number of channels had reached the spot till then, the police even didn’t spared them and thrashed brutally in an attempt to prevent them from collecting news.
After over 15 journalists were hurt and two of them turned critical and rushed to Puri Hospital for treatment, locals staged a protest at the petrol pump.
Palpable tension is prevailing at the spot and five platoons of police force have been depoloyed.
In a similar incident, a block correspondent of an Odia newspaper was brutally hacked by a miscreant over past enmity at Jaleswar block Chhak this morning.
The scribe identified as Radhakrusna Sahu was attacked with a sword and was rushed to Baliapala CHC. He was later shifted to Rupsa CHC due to deteriorating condition. I
Irate locals blocked Jaleswar Main Road in protest to the incident and demanded arrest of the culprit.
Police said the attacker involved in the incident has been identified and will be arrested soon.
Prasanta Patnaik